


RESET

by Sapphirianna



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Flowerfell, Flowerfell AU, Gen, Parental? relationship, Platonic Flowerfell, Underfell, Underfell AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-09
Updated: 2016-04-28
Packaged: 2018-05-19 06:55:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 9,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5957896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sapphirianna/pseuds/Sapphirianna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He vaguely remembers the first RESET. At least, the first RESET he’d noticed. He’d still been a scientist working with a face he cannot recall anymore, if he’d even worked with another at all, when he found himself experiencing what most monsters referred to as “deja-vu”. He’d felt this foggy feeling before on a few occasions, but not as strongly as this. Not as frequently as this.</p><p>(A Flowerfell AU fic)<br/>(Maybe I should clarify that this is a platonic relationship here, sorry Sans/Frisk shippers)</p><p>--I'm not going to finish this due to my own lack of interest--</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off of the Flowerfell AU by http://underfart-snas.tumblr.com/ and the fic Overgrowth (http://archiveofourown.org/works/5734642#main)
> 
> Prepare for feels.  
> Welcome to FlowerHELL :D

He vaguely remembers the first RESET. At least, the first RESET he’d noticed. He’d still been a scientist working with a face he cannot recall anymore, if he’d even worked with another at all, when he found himself experiencing what most monsters referred to as “deja-vu”. He’d felt this foggy feeling before on a few occasions, but not as strongly as this. Not as frequently as this.

 

Then the feeling returned, stronger and stronger as he frantically scoured the data for the outlier. When he’d found it, Sans could only stare in awe at the data. The timespace continuum was erratic. It stopped and started without any prior warning, only to loop back to begin again. His only conclusion was that the sense of “deja-vu” he’d been feeling corresponded with the repeated stretches of time within timelines after a RESET.

 

Eventually, he learned how to remember.

 

Eventually, he grew somewhat accustomed to the near constant state of “deja-vu”. Although, the word “accustomed” never would properly define it. It was more of a “detachment from reality”. For him, there was no reality. No point. If everything was just going to be RESET, why try existing at all?

 

His brother complained about his lack of dedication and motivation. Sans would only shrug. The citizens around Snowdin gave him colder and colder looks as he lost the will to keep going. But the world underground was no place to lose the will to live. It was every monster for himself, and the only reason why Sans hadn’t been dusted yet was because of his brother’s influence on the people around them.

 

Though, it was obvious that Sans was only a source of disappointment for Papyrus.

 

Sans could feel himself being watched by everyone, and the constant looming of certain RESET cast a shadow over him. There were timelines where he led himself to the brink of death, only to find himself staring at the ceiling of his bedroom a few moments later. It frustrated him to no end. He wanted out.

 

So when he found himself face-to-face with the anomaly, he couldn’t contain himself. He held out his hand in a mock handshake, and, a split second before the human took it, he snapped it shut, propelling the confused and frightened human into a nearby tree. It was satisfying to hear the human’s bones crack under the immense pressure of his red magic. He couldn’t, however, quite summon a genuine grin at the human’s pained screaming. It was so hoarse. Their voice was near gone by the time their cries were exhausted. It wasn’t nearly as satisfying the longer it took. It was sad, almost. He barely even noticed the sentient flower scrambling to crawl out of the old boot it was planted in, crying out for the human.

 

“Didn’t anyone tell you that there  _ ARE  _ no pals here? It’s  **kill or be killed** , kid.” Sans pounded the fragile human body against several trees. Branches cracked and bones shattered. The child cried out one last time before their bright red soul split.

 

Then the world rewound.

 

The second time Sans met the anomaly, they didn’t even attempt to shake hands. He could see the terror in their one good eye. Sans brushed it off and let them proceed forward, but not too far along the path, they ran into Papyrus.

 

The world rewound. Sans lost count after the fifth time Papyrus killed them. At that point, Sans was fairly certain that the kid wasn’t aware of the RESETS. The world continued to rewind again and again, until, surprisingly, the human gained enough wisdom to duck behind an object to hide.

 

He hadn’t noticed at first, but the entirety of the left side of their face was covered in dozens of small yellow flowers arching around their head like the beginning of a crown. Their left eye was completely obscured by the flowers, and he could only assume that they were half-blind.

 

He almost felt sorry for them.

 

The people in Snowdin paid the newcomer little mind. The human was so small. So insignificant. They carried the annoying flower with them almost everywhere they went. The flower would whisper words of encouragement sometimes. Sometimes, Sans caught wind of the flower’s concerned voice asking if they were alright. They would smile down at the plant in the boot and quietly reassure him. They only wore an oversized striped sweater and shorts. Sans found himself wondering if they would freeze to death on multiple occasions. They did, once. The world rewound again.

 

The next time Sans took them to Snowdin, he immediately pointed them towards the Inn. He wasn’t sure if the gesture was out of annoyance or pity, but the small human smiled gently at him and quietly murmured two words he didn’t quite catch. He shrugged and took a shortcut to his sentry station, silently wondering how the small human managed to smile at him at all. He’d killed them once and indirectly killed them dozens of times out of neglect.

 

The next time the world rewound, he was certain it was because of his brother.

 

He spent the day lounging at his sentry station, barely paying anything any mind as he was deep in thought, when the human stopped in front of him. He cracked open an eyesocket and stared down the kid.

 

“What?”

 

“You look troubled,” the human replied.

 

“None o’ your business, hon.” Sans stretched and propped his elbows on the counter. He noticed the strange look on the human’s face. They looked… determined. “Where are you headed so early in the day?”

 

“Out.” They pointed upward, and Sans couldn’t resist a loud snort.

 

“All of us want out, sweetie, but that’s not gonna happen anytime soon.” He felt a surge of… envy? Or was he just being hostile to the human out of spite for the anomaly? He couldn’t tell. But the human only smiled.

 

“Do you want to come?”

 

“Sure I would, sweetheart,” Sans grinned lazily at them. “But my brother’s out there. You wouldn’t get past him. He’s not fond of MERCY. And there are puzzles galore out there, honey. Be careful, or you might just die out there.”

 

They shrugged and started to walk away. But before they were even past the edge of the sentry station, they turned with a smile.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Sans gawked at them as they turned around again. He laughed quietly. “No one’s ever said that.”

 

Not long after, the world RESET.

 

Sans was back at his sentry station, and the same conversation took place. Again, the human thanked him, and this time, he only huffed a small, disbelieving laugh.

 

The world rewound six more times in the same fashion, and each time, the human returned with more flowers in their hair, and more “thank you”s to be said.

 

Sans snapped.

 

“Why are you trying to be so  _ good? _ ” He snarled, startling them into dropping their flower friend. “Your ‘goody-two-shoes’ schtick is disgusting, you know that? You’re just gonna butter us all up before you dust each and every one of us, huh? Waiting to ‘befriend’ us so that we don’t fight back?”

 

He couldn’t stop himself. Red magic encircled the human and lifted them high into the air. They cried out in surprise, but Sans didn’t hear their voice. He only felt more and more angry at the situation. At  _ them _ .

 

“I  _ know  _ your kind. You’re just  _ dirty _ .” Sans summoned a Gaster Blaster and aimed it at the human. They screamed in terror. “You  _ don’t deserve _ to be here.  **Die** .”

 

A bright light flood the area, and the world, once again, rewound.

 

When he saw them again, the human was sporting another flower dangerously close to their good eye. They smiled at him. He felt disgusting. They talked again, like all the times before. The human once again thanked him, and he  _ flinched _ .

 

He couldn’t take this any longer. He couldn’t bring himself to physically kill them again. He ran to his brother. If there was any way to rid the underground of that confusing human without guilt plaguing his every breath, it was through Papyrus. He popped into existence beside the tall skeleton, proceeding to scare the living daylights out of him.

 

He ratted the human out.

 

Soon enough, the human appeared with their flower friend in their arms. Papyrus pulled them into a battle. Sans watched as his brother skewered the human without a second thought. He suppressed a flinch. His brother was  _ so much _ more brutal than Sans had ever been to the human, and yet, Sans felt all the more guilty.

 

The next time he saw the human, they had yet another flower poking out of their left sleeve. He noticed that they barely moved that arm anymore.

 

He offered to take them to Grillby’s. Maybe as a silent apology. He found out that they liked ketchup on their fries. Their laughter was soft and light like feathers floating in the breeze. They liked listening to him talk. They laughed at his jokes. They  _ thanked  _ him once again.

 

And yet, he still told his brother of their approach.

 

He never felt more disgusting in his entire existence.

 

The next time, they offered to take him to Grillby’s, and he couldn’t conceal the surprise. They smiled at him. He handed them the ketchup. They thanked him. Those words frustrated him to no end.

 

The world continued to RESET and rewind each time the human ran into Papyrus, and yet they still went to Grillby’s with him and still thanked him each time.

 

Sans couldn’t stand it anymore. When he approached his brother this time, it was to have an argument, and Sans snatched the human away on the pretense that  _ he  _ would be the one to bring them to Asgore. This was it. He was officially a traitor now.

 

“Thank you.” The human said once Sans explained that he’d lied to his brother. He couldn’t look them in the eye.

 

“Let’s just get moving, sweetheart.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, not much so far, but it's a work in progress. It's also a dumb thing I decided to write whenever I get bored.  
> Yep. Enjoy.
> 
> IMPORTANT: This fic is focused on a parental/platonic relationship between Sans and Frisk. Please remember that.  
> I know that goes against the original AU's design, but it freaks me out a bit to see SansxFrisk. Especially UF!SansXFrisk.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this anyways.


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey, sweetheart,” Sans growled. “Don’t go wandering ahead.”

 

The human paused and turned to wait for him, even though their good eye was sparkling with curiosity and wonder and it was obvious that they wanted to continue exploring. The sentient flower, who demanded that Sans called him “Asriel” instead of “thing”, was perched on the human’s shoulder and looking impatient.

 

“Don’t give me that look. There’s murderous fish up ahead who will tear you to pieces if you go too far.” Sans huffed and crossed his arms. Not to mention himself. Papyrus had definitely told his mentor about his dissention. There was no doubt about that. Sans vaguely registered the buzz of anxiety in the back of his mind.

 

What in the blasted underground was he even  _ doing? _

 

He was wandering the waterfalls with a little brat (who he’d already murdered multiple times in previous timelines), and he was watching their stupid smiles and laughter and curiosity. He was watching them gaze out across the glowing neon waters with wonder in their eye. He was chuckling whenever they bent over to inspect the echo flowers before he’d lead them away, and they left laughter and kindness echoing behind them. He was protecting them. That’s what he was doing.

 

He wondered if he’d finally gone mad.

 

“Sans?” The human’s quiet voice jolted him out of his reverie.

 

“What is it, sweetie?”

 

“Could we take a break for a minute?” They were shivering, but they were still smiling.

 

“Uh, sure.” He leaned against the cavern wall and slid down to sit on the floor, himself exhausted. “But just for a minute or two. Don’t want to run into the murder fish.”

 

He fell asleep.

 

When he awoke, it was to Asriel’s panicked voice. When he finally blinked the grogginess from his eye sockets, it was then that he noticed that the human was shaking violently. Their coughing wracked their entire body. They looked like they would break upon touch.

 

“What’s up with-?” He didn’t even get to finish his question.

 

“They’re sick.” Asriel snapped. “They’ve got a bad fever.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re a skeleton, I doubt you’d understand,” Asriel responded quietly before going back to quietly rousing the human. They blinked slowly and gazed bleary-eyed around their surroundings, very disoriented.

 

“Hey, sweetheart, you alright?” He squatted in front of them, a spark of concern in the back of his mind. They only managed a smile and a hoarse “I’m fine”, to which Asriel sputtered. The flower obviously wanted to shout, but he held his tongue reluctantly. The human just  _ kept smiling _ .

 

Sans felt a surge of conflicting emotions. Part of him desperately wanted to scoop the fragile human into his arms to protect them and hold them close, but the other part managed to convince him that everything was fine. This was fine. They could keep going. They  _ had  _ to keep going. There was no choice at this point. Besides, being sick wasn’t that big of a deal. Was it?

 

He shrugged and motioned for the human to come along. “We’ve got to get going. Undyne might be prowling about the waterfalls.”

 

The human nodded slowly and shakily pushed up to their feet.

 

They’d been slowly walking for a good part of the caverns when Sans heard a disconcerting noise and a surprised yelp from behind. When he’d turned around, dread quickly flooded his core. The human was on the ground, lying on their stomach and breathing heavily. Sans quickly approached and knelt down, carefully picking them up and supporting their weight as he gently pushed them against the cavern wall.

 

Their face was so red and yet so pale at the same time. Even though, as a skeleton, he couldn’t technically feel heat, Sans could tell that they were burning up. Glistening beads of sweat rolled down their forehead. Sans could hear the unevenness of their breathing. They tilted their head back in order to rest it against the wall.

 

Underneath the bored and annoyed expression, Sans was panicking.

 

What was he supposed to do? Did humans do this kind of thing? What was normal? Asriel had said that they’d fallen ill, but Sans had no idea what that truly meant.

 

And why did he even  _ care  _ in the first place?

 

“Sans?” The human’s fragile voice called his name.

 

“Yeah, sweetheart?” Sans responded gruffly.

 

They pointed a shaky finger across the hall.  _ Damn _ , they were so  _ weak _ . “Wh-what’s that?”

 

A somber statue sat along the wall, its stone eroded smooth from the constant rain of water that poured from the hole in the ceiling right above it.

 

“A statue,” Sans said matter-of-factly. “A rather sad one at that.”

 

“Is there-” The human paused to regain their breath. “Is there an umbrella nearby?”

 

Sans scoffed. An umbrella? Why would the kid need an umbrella? They weren’t the one under the rain.

 

“I saw a sign a while ago while exploring, and I’ve got a hunch. Please, Sans. It’ll be worth it, I promise,” they said so softly and with such hope that Sans found himself getting to his feet with a grunt.

 

Why did this small  _ human _ , of all things, have such a hold over him with just a few words?

 

“Alright, alright. I think someone left a collection of umbrellas around here.” He pointed to Asriel. “You’re on lookout.”

 

“Yeah,” the flower nodded solemnly.

 

When he returned, he found the flower whispering soft words of encouragement to the human, desperately trying to keep them awake. Sans only stood there, unopened umbrella dragging across the floor, as he watched. A sense of frustration bubbled within his core.

 

Why had he saddled himself with  _ this? _

 

Without a word, he turned. The umbrella opened with a pop that echoed down the corridor. Sans sighed and carefully placed the umbrella in a spot where the large part of it’d cover the statue’s head. Asriel raised his head to watch. For a moment, everything was silent with the exception of the water bouncing and rolling off the umbrella.

 

Then music began to play.

 

“Huh.” Sans was dumbfounded. Although he was certain that he had never before in his life heard the melody, the music struck a nostalgic chord within him, bringing an unspeakable bittersweetness into his soul. The music box continued to plunk along.

 

“That’s what it must’ve meant by ‘a haunting song’. It’s pretty.” The human coughed weakly. “Thank you, Sans.”

 

Sans glanced towards the human and found them smiling gently, eye closed. They looked… peaceful. And for a brief moment, Sans marvelled at their picturesque and angelic smile, and he, too, was at peace.

  
The world rewound again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short-ish update. We're finally getting into the main part of the story.  
> I hope I'm writing the characters alright;;;;;;


	3. Chapter 3

Once again, Sans found himself staring ahead into the deep recesses of the caverns, side-by-side with the human. It was disorienting to find himself standing in a completely different place than where he’d just been. Very disorienting. His gut twisted and a wave of nausea flooded his senses. Sans took a moment to examine his surroundings. He was half expecting to see the human sitting limply against the wall, dead and growing colder by the second, but that wasn’t the case. They were back to the entrance of the waterfalls instead of listening to the statue’s mournful melody. The human was standing slightly behind the skeleton, the flower perched on their shoulder, both watching him expectantly. Instinctively, he turned to inspect them closely. He gripped their chin and forced them to look him in the eye. He needed to see. Damnit, he needed to  _ know _ .

 

“Sans?” The human exclaimed with a bubbly laugh in surprise. Asriel grunted in disapproval from his position on the kid’s shoulder. The flower squinted at the skeleton, trying to assess exactly what Sans was up to. The flower never seemed to fully trust him, and Sans was alright with that.

 

He examined the human’s face, his white pupils narrowing to pinpricks in his concentration. Sans stood stock still. He needed to be certain.

 

He needed to know if the kid was alright,  _ damnit _ . He wasn’t about to let the kid die under his watch. Not again.

 

Their face was flushed and cool, very unlike when they’d fallen ill. Their breathing was even. No coughing. No sneezing. No fainting. Their good eye was clear and focused, if a bit confused, but another yellow bloom was encroaching on it. Within the next few RESETS, the flowers would be eating the kid’s only good eye. Maybe the very next RESET would grow the irremediable flower. They would be blind. He let go after a few moments of studying them.

 

“The flowers?” They were watching him intently, somewhat curious, but still very gentle. A pause. A spark of realization entered their expression. “They grow every time I die, if you were wondering.”

 

Sans froze. Panic buzzed like static. “How did you--?”

 

The human shrugged. “I’ve had a hunch.”

 

“How long?”

 

“Since a long time ago. Since when you had only laughed when I thanked you the second time in Snowdin. You were the only one to break the ‘script’, if you will.” The human spoke slowly and softly. They traced the uneven bumps on the walls as they walked. Asriel remained quiet, refusing to look at Sans.

 

“...So you do remember the RESETS.” It wasn’t a question. Sans felt a sting in his core. He had hoped that maybe the human couldn’t remember. Maybe he was the only one who was burdened with memories of repeated days. The oddball. The crazy one. But now? Now he knew that every single one of his actions was carved into the memory of this small human. Each time he’d shattered their bones. Each time he’d ratted them out to his murderous brother. Each time he’d ignored their needs and let them die slowly and in pain. Every time he’d betrayed their trust. His gut did flips. He felt like disgusting slime. He wanted to melt into the earth. Guilty. Guilty.  _ Guilty _ . 

 

“Yes.” The human smiled sadly in his direction as they paused, right hand pressed against the wall of the corridor. “I do.”

 

_ Shit _ .

 

Sans swallowed hard. Several moments pass in silence. He clenched and unclenched his hands into fists. It took him a little while to control the sudden rage that boiled in his bones. He wanted to punch something. A wall, perhaps. Or a person. But he held his fists by his sides. He couldn’t quite understand. He couldn’t  _ understand _ .

 

“Do you, uh, RESET on purpose?”

 

The human made a negatory noise and shook their head. That sad smile remained. “Honestly, I’ve wanted to die for a long time and be done with it, but something won’t let me.”

 

The corners of their lips fell and the smile was gone. Sans felt his soul drop with it. The human touched a flower over where their left eye should have been. They looked so deflated. So tired. Exhausted of life. In a flash, they looked so much older than what Sans guessed they were. Sans could relate.

 

A part of Sans rose in anguish. Something nagging in the back of his mind told him that perhaps not all of the flowers were his fault entirely. He and this human had much more in common than he’d originally thought, and he felt nothing but unbidden sorrow at that revelation. He paused.

 

But why did he care? All of this emotional nonsense regarding this human was frustrating him to no end. They’d caused him nothing but frustration and trouble, right? To continue to stay by their side and fuss over their health, maybe he had really gone mad. Everything he was doing was against the rules of the Underground. He was going to get himself killed. He could hear Papyrus’s voice grating in his head about what a fool he was being, and while he would be somewhat appreciative of Sans’s newfound motivation,  _ this  _ was certainly not the motivation Papyrus intended for Sans to have. Papyrus wouldn’t care if Sans got dusted because of this. Papyrus would only say that his brother was a weak fool anyways. Sans deserved death. Sans suppressed a shiver at the thought.

 

He breathed slowly, putting those thoughts on the back burner. What was done was done. This was the path he’d chosen. He needed to accept that. And his only talent was going with the flow, wasn’t it?

 

“Look, uh--”

 

“Frisk,” they said.

 

“What?”

 

“My name is Frisk.” They smiled at him, any trace of sorrow or grimness gone. Sans stared, surprised at the sudden change in expression. The human continued walking forward. How long had this kid been suffering, and yet they still managed to smile at him? It baffled him. In a moment, Sans had caught up to them and was already shrugging his jacket off of his shoulders.

 

“You need this more than I do.” He muttered. He dropped the jacket over the human’s head, prompting Asriel to cry out in dismay. Sans paused before saying their name slowly, testing the name. “Frisk.”

 

Frisk pulled the jacket off their head with a smile and slipped it on. Asriel popped his head out of the hood, looking somewhat disgruntled, but overall, he seemed pleased with Sans’s actions. Sans felt a little hope bubble in his core. He’d done the right thing. Finally.

 

The jacket was huge on Frisk. The fur lining of the hood framed their small face. Their fingertips barely poked out of the sleeves.  It was comical, almost, how the jacket encompassed them.

 

“Thank you, Sans.”

 

“We’d best get going. I don’t know when Undyne will show up, which she undoubtedly will.” Sans coughed awkwardly and motioned for Frisk to follow. He paused, scratching the back of his skull aimlessly. “Frisk, huh? Still like ‘sweetheart’ better.”

  
Frisk just laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had the most aggravating time finding the right words for this chapter.  
> I hope I'm still staying true to character;;;;  
> UF!Sans is actually hard to write.


	4. Chapter 4

They were only halfway through the waterfalls when they ran into Undyne. Sans had expected the warrior’s appearance, but not as soon.

 

He stood in front of Frisk, blocking them with his arm to keep them from wandering forward too far. He could feel Frisk stiffening behind him. Asriel whispered something into Frisk’s ear, trying to calm them down. It didn’t seem to be helping much. Frisk was clutching onto San’s sweater with a death grip.

 

“What business do you have here, you weak idiot?” Undyne growled, summoning a magic spear from thin air and pointing it threateningly at the trio. “And who are they? You don’t have permission to pass through to the Hotlands.”

 

“Uh--” Sans scrambled for an excuse. If there was a way to avoid a fight with Undyne, the King’s best warrior, Sans would take it. A fight with Undyne meant certain death. He glanced at Frisk and caught the barely contained fear in their good eye.

 

Undyne grimaced in disgust as she surveyed the human. She pointed the spear in their direction. “I should have known,” she growled, drawing out her vowels as she spoke and eyeing Sans in suspicion. “That’s a human. Why is it still alive, Sans?”

 

“I’m, uh, gonna--” Sans stuttered. “I’m taking them to Asgore myself.”

 

_ Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. _

 

A spear impaled the ground not far in front of the trio and fizzled out of existence, leaving a deep hole in the ground. Frisk gasped and leaped back, clutching Asriel close. Sans instinctively threw his arm out to push Frisk further behind him. Undyne wasn’t taking his excuses. He eyed Undyne with caution and braced himself to fight. A small hand grasped his arm from behind, startling him. He glanced backwards to find Frisk giving him a pleading look.

 

“Please,” Frisk whispered. “Please don’t kill her.”

 

Sans shot them a confused look. He wasn’t getting what the human was saying. If Sans didn’t take Undyne out now, she would crush them without mercy, and Sans wasn’t looking forward to seeing Frisk becoming a pincushion of blue spears. Or himself, for that matter.

 

“Please, Sans. Don’t hurt her.” Frisk’s voice was tight with worry and anxiety, but Sans could hear the underlying tone of genuine concern for the captain’s well-being. He hesitated, taken aback.

 

“Only for you, sweetheart.” Sans mumbled, defeated.

 

“Hey!” Undyne demanded his attention again. She stomped her foot in frustration, her armor creating a cacophony of clanking. “I’m talking to you, bastard!”

 

“Sorry, Undyne, we’ve got to get going.” Sans grabbed the kid’s arm and dragged them forward at a sprint. Frisk cried out in surprise. Undyne sputtered, eyes wide. She stood there frozen for a few moments before spinning around to shout after them.

 

“HEY! Get back here, you brats!”

 

Sans couldn’t help but grin. The grin fell almost immediately, however, when he spotted a glowing spot on the floor. His mind immediately blared warning signs. He yanked Frisk to the left, barely missing getting impaled by a spear himself as a magic spear shot out of the glowing spot on the floor. The skeleton skid to a halt as a bright cyan spear burst out of the ground. He tugged Frisk’s arm back into a run. By this point, he was breathing heavily, but he couldn’t afford to stop. Not with a murderous fish on their tail. He glanced over to Frisk to check on them.

 

They were gripping Asriel’s boot with a vice grip with a look of anxious terror in their face. They, too, were beginning to breathe heavily. Something caught Sans’s eye, and he yanked Frisk’s body into himself, wrapping his arms protectively around them. Asriel gasped. A spear erupted from where Frisk’s feet had been a few moments earlier.

 

“Sorry,” Sans breathed. Frisk was stiff as a board and shaking somewhat.

 

“It’s okay. It’s okay.” Frisk shook their head. “Thank you.”

 

“Let’s get out of here, sweetheart.” Sans gripped Frisk’s numb left wrist and pulled them forward once he saw Frisk nod their head.

 

The trio continued to race across the bridges, dodging Undyne’s spears as quickly as they could. Sans led the group, never letting go of Frisk’s hand. Asriel called out whenever he spotted another spear ahead. Undyne’s frustrated shouting echoed in the caverns as she came careening after them.

 

But they could only run so far.

 

Sans skidded to a halt just centimeters from the edge of the bridge. He tightened his grip on Frisk’s wrist, although Frisk didn’t seem to feel it. They didn’t react, at least. Sans pulled Frisk close as he backed away from the edge. He didn’t want to fall. The space yawned before them into pitch darkness without bottom.

 

“Back up, sweetheart,” Sans whispered to Frisk, and the human, who had been staring behind them the entire time on the lookout for Undyne, immediately shuffled backwards, away from the danger. Sans kept his grip on their wrist tight, tense.

 

They waited.

 

And waited.

 

But Undyne did not follow them to the edge of the bridge.

 

“Do you think--?” Frisk whispered, and Sans could hear the anxiety in their voice. He gently squeezed their wrist, even though he was sure they couldn’t feel the attempt at comfort.

 

“Maybe.” Sans grunted, eyeing the shadows with unease. He stepped forward. “Stay behind me just in case.”

 

Frisk mumbled an “okay” and fell in behind him. Asriel was once again whispering something into the human’s ear. Sans was too preoccupied with not dying to try to divine what the flower was saying. He seemed concerned nonetheless. Sans still didn’t exactly trust the flower, but Asriel didn’t seem to trust him either, but he happily settled for mutual distrust.

 

Sans ventured forward, watching the darkness for Undyne’s deadly spears. He was sweating. Frisk was shaking. Or was he shaking? He couldn’t tell. For all he knew, death was waiting for them right ahead. That surely  _ rattled his bones _ .

 

Heh. Skeletons. Rattled his  _ bones _ .

 

“Are you trapped?”

 

Sans froze, and Frisk lightly bumped into his backside with a startled noise. They hadn’t been paying attention. Undyne flashed a toothy grin at them, spear in hand.

 

“Say goodbye, you _ useless bastard _ .”

 

A loud crack split the air and Sans felt the bridge begin to give under the weight. He heard Frisk yelp as the wood groaned and sputtered.

 

“Hold on, Frisk!” Asriel shouted, and Frisk was suddenly clinging onto the flower. Frisk stepped closer to Sans, muttering a string of words that were drowned out by the complaining of the bridge.

 

“I won’t let go.” Sans said. Sans found himself staring into Frisk’s good eye. Terror reflected back to him. “I won’t let go. I  _ promise _ , Frisk, I will  _ never let go _ .”

  
The world gave out underneath them, and darkness swallowed them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nnnnngaAAAAAHHHHHHHHH  
> Undyne makes an appearance!
> 
> I haven't given up on this yet. I just haven't had the time to write lately.


	5. Chapter 5

Sans couldn’t see. At least, not initially. His head spun and a piercing pain shuddered through his bones. His chest felt like a weight was holding him down. He couldn’t quite breathe. He was afraid to open his eyes. Everything hurt. God, everything  _ hurt _ . He groaned. He spent a few moments testing his limbs. Left leg, there. Good. Right leg, there. Good. Left arm, there. Good. Right arm, there. Good. Head, still there. Great. Everything was intact as far as he could tell. He wasn’t a pile of dust yet, though some snarky voice in his mind wondered how long that would last if he kept sticking to this kid’s side.

 

Oh shit, the kid.  _ Where was the kid? _

 

For a brief minute, Sans panicked, but as soon as he opened his eye sockets, he was greeted with a head full of brown hair directly in his face. It occurred to him then that the weight holding him down was actually the human’s body, which was tucked under the protective circle of his arms. Sans had been hugging the human to himself during the fall. He felt stupid for forgetting that crucial detail. Of course he hurt.  _ He’d  _ been the one to take the brunt of the fall.

 

Something soft tickled his neck. A slight turn of his head revealed that he was lying on a bed of large golden flowers he had never seen before. They must have broken their fall. He frowned. For a moment, he wondered if the sentient flower that Frisk always carried with them was somewhere underneath him. He snorted at the thought of it. Oh, how unhappy Asriel must have been to be squashed underneath such a large skeleton.

 

“Hey, you sack of bones.” A familiar voice rose above the dull roar of water constantly falling. Asriel popped into view. “You awake?”

 

Sans grunted in response, shifting so he could sit up slowly. It didn’t particularly occur to him that he was still clutching the smaller human to him.

 

Asriel quickly scooted himself over towards Frisk, a look of fear on his face. “Frisk?”

 

Sans paused, concentrating. Frisk’s stomach was slowly expanding and contracting.

 

“They’re breathing,” Sans confirmed.

 

“Good,” Asriel breathed. “Good.”

 

“We should wait until they wake up.” Sans positioned himself on the bed of flowers so that Frisk could be as comfortable as possible. He kept his right arm draped across them and waited.

 

Sans watched for danger as he sat there, side-by-side with Asriel, who focused more on Frisk than on their surroundings. There was no guarantee that Undyne wouldn’t find them again, assuming that she went looking for the trio at all. Perhaps the warrior would assume them all dead. That would be safer for Frisk if that were the case. Undyne was Asgore’s best and brightest. Although sometimes too enthusiastic about mauling, she was a tactical genius when it called for it. It was her tactical prowess that caused their downfall.

 

Heh.  _ Downfall _ .

 

Sans eventually lost track of time.

 

Frisk bolted upright with a loud gasp, clutching at their chest in a panic and startling Sans so completely that he swore loudly. Panicked words spilled from Frisk’s lips and they searched the area for something frantically. Their breathing quickened to the point of almost hyperventilation. Sans scrambled to pull Frisk back into him to keep them from running off. They were still in a panicked frenzy, and Sans was suddenly holding Frisk’s forearms, looking them in the eye and quietly, but firmly, murmuring to them reassurances. Everything was okay. They were alive. They were okay. He pulled them into a tight embrace and ran his phalanges gently through their hair, avoiding the little golden buds as much as he could, and guilt speared him whenever a finger snagged on one and Frisk cried out in pain. Frisk sobbed into his sweater. Minutes passed agonizingly slowly.

 

“Sans?” They mumbled after a while, still silently crying, and he nodded, hugging them closer.

 

“Right here, sweetheart.” Sans rumbled, rubbing consoling circles into Frisk’s shaking backside. “It’s okay. I haven’t let go. I’m here. I’m here.”

 

“Thank you.” Frisk peeled themself from Sans and smoothed out their sweater, still wiping tears from their eyes and shaking.

 

“Frisk?” Ariel questioned quietly. The little flower brushed the top of Frisk’s boot with one of his leaves gently, trying his best to comfort the human.

 

“I thought-- It was so black, I-- I thought I was blind. Or dead, or you were dead or Asriel or, or--” They went silent for a moment and took a deep breath. “Sorry.”

 

Sans didn’t reply. He didn’t know how to reply to that statement. He just nodded and coughed awkwardly. “Let’s get going.”

 

“Yeah,” Asriel acquiesced, still watching Frisk with concern. He turned to Sans impatiently. “Let’s go. Hey! Bone bag, you carry me.”

 

“Bone bag?”

 

“You heard me, bone bag.”

 

“Could you at least come up with something clever?” Sans scoffed at Asriel’s sudden and rude demand, but plucked the flower from his ruined boot and let him snake his roots around his shoulders to stay upright. “You’re boring.”

 

“Shut it, you dumb--” Asriel stuck out his tongue. Sans returned the childish gesture right back at him, nearly licking a petal with his red tongue. Asriel looked horrified. “You dumb-- You stupid skeleton!”

 

“You’re not even trying!” Sans guffawed, clearly amused. “ _ Flower  _ you going to offend me if you’re not even trying? That’s the  _ root  _ of your problem. If you’re not going to insult me right, just  _ leaf  _ me be.”

 

“ _ Did you just--? _ ” Asriel squeaked.

 

Their quibbling stopped immediately at the sound of laughter. Both skeleton and flower turned to find the source of the quiet laughter.

 

Frisk was giggling, cheeks still wet from their outburst, but giggling nonetheless. They held a hand against their mouth in an attempt to cover their mirth, but they were failing to. Asriel still huffed, but a grin still managed to overtake the frown. Frisk’s bright laughter echoed in the cavern like sweet morning bells. The rain was over. Their laugh was a breath of fresh air in this dim and dismal dump.

  
Sans smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, fear that leads to happiness.  
> Some sweetness after that bitterness for you folks.
> 
> Thanks for following RESET. I really appreciate you guys. :3


	6. Chapter 6

The ghost-possessed dummy proved to be a bit of a problem. It flung itself in the way and blocked the exit as soon as the trio attempted to pass it by, refusing to let them pass until it had its “revenge”. For what, Sans didn’t know, but all he really knew was that it was being overwhelmingly annoying.

 

He suppressed the urge to disintegrate it with a blast from his Gaster Blasters. Frisk wouldn’t like that. Frisk would cry again. He didn’t want that.

 

Nevertheless, the dummy was the ultimate pinnacle of annoying.

 

Sans dodged a missile with relative ease, though he was just now beginning to breathe heavily. He really needed to train more. He was out of fighting shape. (Not that he was ever  _ in  _ shape, but that was besides the point.) The dummy screeched and ordered its minions to continue fire, and Sans heaved a heavy sigh. He was getting tired of this shenanigans.

 

Frisk stumbled in the shin-deep water and fell with a splash and a cry of distress.

 

“Frisk!” Asriel cried out from Sans’s shoulder and reached out a root to take an attack for the human, wincing when the missiles blew up against his body. His HP dropped.

 

Frisk sputtered and coughed, now completely soaked, but grateful nonetheless for Asriel’s intervention.

 

“I’m okay!” Frisk squeaked out between coughs. The dummy laughed maniacally. It poised to order its minions to strike again. Asriel was too hurt to take another hit. The flower called out a warning to Sans.

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Sans growled to himself. “C’mere sweetheart.” Sans dashed to their side and scooped them into his arms. Frisk squealed as Sans hydroplaned, taken aback by the sudden increase in speed.

 

“Hang on tight.” Sans wrapped his right arm underneath Frisk so he could hold them up and raised his left hand. A bright red flash sparked from his left eye and he summoned a dozen red glowing bones. When Frisk cried out in terror, he shushed them. “The dummy isn’t fully corporeal. I’m not gonna kill it. But don’t look, okay? No peeking.”

 

Hesitantly, Frisk nodded and buried their face into Sans’s damp sweater, clutching his tighter.

 

“YOU CAN’T KILL ME! I HAVE KNIVES!” The thing screeched, obviously startled by the sudden surge of magic, summoning its own weapon from within the depths of its fluffy insides, brandishing it.

 

Sans rolled his eye and huffed in annoyance. He was getting  _ really  _ tired of this. “Don’t matter, you glorified puppet.”

 

With a flick of his wrist, Sans sent the bones racing through the air, and he couldn’t help but grin in satisfaction as they skewered the dummy, drawing a scream of surprise. Frisk flinched at the sound, and Sans tightened his hold on them, nudging their head with his chin as a way of comfort.

 

“UNBELIEVABLE! UNBELIEVABLE! UNBELIEVABLE!” The dummy screeched. Sans was getting real tired of the ghost’s ruckus. It brandished the knife once again, clearly unafraid of Sans. It flung the weapon in Sans’s direction with a great flourish.

 

And missed.

 

“I’m--” The ghost stuttered. “I’m out of knives.”

 

Sans grinned widely. Victory was in sight. Finally.

 

“Look, you bonely pincushion. If you want to leave with a body, you’d best leave now. You might be out of knives, but I’ve got plenty where those came from.” Sans snarled at the dummy, snide and rather smug. “ _ Knife  _ to meet you and all, but we’ve got places to be.”

 

The dummy seethed, and Sans could only laugh. The dummy scrambled to scoot away from Sans as he dispelled the bones, leaving the dummy with more holes than it had began with. It hissed at them as they passed, but didn’t attempt to attack again. They’d won.

 

“C’mon, sweetheart. We’re getting out of here.” Sans readjusted his grip on Frisk and began to slosh through the water, feeling rather proud of himself for getting them out of a mess.

 

Asriel drooped slightly, both relieved and exhausted. He seemed much worse for wear. The poor flower was scorched in several places and another petal was ripped. His grip on Sans’s shoulders was weak, but he remained quiet for Frisk’s sake and used the time to rest.

 

Frisk was still against Sans’s chest, shivering, cold. They tried to burrow further into the warmth that was Sans’s red knitted sweater.

 

“Hold on, sweetheart,” Sans mumbled, certain that Frisk could hear him. They were nestled against his chest, after all. “We might be in hot water now, but soon we’ll be high and dry.”

 

A weak fist bumped his sternum. Frisk shivered and gave a low, displeased groan at his joke. He grinned widely, certainly pleased with their reaction, and continued wading to the shore, past the various towers of garbage and junk.

 

When they reached the shore, Sans lowered Frisk to the ground and took the sodden jacket from their shoulders and proceeded to shake it out. Water dripped from the dreanched fur lining. Sans sighed.

 

“You really did a number on yourself there, kid.” Sans grinned at them, finally taking their completely soaked appearance into account. Their hair clung to their face in wet clumps and the golden flowers drooped under the weight of the water. Their wool sweater was turned several shades darker than originally, and their knees were scraped and bloody from the fall. Streaks of mud marred their shins.

 

“Let’s take a break, huh, sweetheart?” Sans wrung out the jacket and draped it on an outcropping of rock. He peeled his soaking wet slippers from his feet and set them beside the jacket. Asriel crawled from Sans’s shoulder to the ground, making Sans shiver involuntarily at the weird feeling that came from vines sliding down his bones. Creepy.

 

Frisk shook their head violently, like a dog, and water flew everywhere. They laughed when Sans scowled at them, but he promptly dropped the frown when an odd noise alerted him. He stared at Frisk in confusion as they walked closer to him. The noise repeated at each step Frisk took. Realization dawned on Sans.

 

“Hey sweetie, let me see your boots.” Sans reached out a hand expectantly, and Frisk plopped to the ground obediantly and proceeded to take off their boots. They pulled the left one off with a loud squelching pop and a large amount of water poured from within.

 

“ _ Water _ you thinking, kid?” Sans grinned as Frisk gave a mock groan. Underneath his joking demeanor, though, was a surge of concern. “You’ll get sick again if you wear those around. Take them both off.”

 

Asriel huffed weakly, and Sans finally took note of the flower’s haggard appearance. Asriel was drooping.

 

“Hey, you.” Sans leaned close to Asriel, who immediately shuffled backwards. Sans took the other boot from Frisk. “You’re not looking too hot. I don’t know much about plants, but I bet you need a bit of--”

 

“Oh no,” Asriel hissed. “Don’t you dare!”

 

Sans grinned mischieviously. “ _ \--watering? _ ” And proceeded to dump the remaining contents of Frisk’s boot onto Asriel’s head. Asriel shrieked in dismay.

 

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Asriel perked up immediately despite his wounds, outraged.

 

“How can I be  _ kidding  _ you when, clearly, I am the  _ adult  _ here.”

 

Frisk burst out laughing, holding their sides as they wheezed. Their laughter echoed throughout the quiet cavern, a pleasant sound.  Asriel hissed at Sans, who had the most smug look on his face, clearly pleased with this turn of events.

 

“Sans,” Frisk said between bouts of giggling and wiping the tears of mirth from their good eye. “Be nice. He’s hurt.”

 

“Here, I know a place nearby where we can get some grub.” Sans squatted next to Asriel, still grinning as Asriel scowled at him. “As an apology, I’ll get you something to eat, okay?”

 

The flower dug his roots into the ground with a grunt. “I don’t need it. I can get what I need from the ground.”

 

He paused, glancing away.

 

“But thanks anyway.”

 

Frisk smiled and pat the ground next to them, gesturing for Sans to take a seat. He obliged, leaning against the wall with a sigh once he got settled.

 

“Tired?” Frisk asked, crossing their legs underneath them and leaning against the wall as well.

 

Sans didn’t respond. He only closed his eyes. Silence settled for a while.

 

“Me too,” Frisk said with a smile. “Let’s stay here a while and rest.”

 

“Not too long, though.” Sans mumbled. “Undyne’s house isn’t far from here.”

 

“I’ll keep watch,” muttered Asriel. “You’re both exhausted.”

 

“Thank you.” Frisk beamed at him, and Asriel smiled softly back to them before he disappeared under the ground.

 

Sans cracked an eye socket open once the flower had left. He didn’t turn towards Frisk, but just sat there, facing the small pool of glowing water in the center of the room. A feeling of confusion bubbled within his soul.

 

“Why do you say that all the time?” Sans broke the quiet, solemn.

 

Frisk blinked slowly, but a smile remained on their face. The human looked unsurprised at his question. Almost like they’d suspected it. They lowered their gaze to their hands folded neatly in their lap.

 

“Thank you?”

 

“Yeah.” Sans shifted so that he could see their face better. “Why? It’s pointless. This is a thankless world.”

 

“No it’s not.” Frisk immediately responded, still smiling. “There is always something to be thankful for.” They paused, pondering for a moment. “Always be grateful. Count the blessings you were given. You will never know how great life can be until you look for things to be thankful for. It’s easier to stay alive that way. I’ve learned that recently.  _ You _ are something to be thankful for.”

 

Sans remained silent, shocked. He frowned as he looked Frisk over. They were cold, wet, and shivering somewhat, but that telltale smile stayed there.

  
Silence settled, and Sans was even more confused than before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a fun chapter to write. :3 I hope that it's just as fun to read!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Sans has a panic attack.

A stretch of time passed in comfortable silence. Frisk had fallen asleep at some point, and Sans was left in the quiet space with only his thoughts and worries to accompany him. Despite Asriel’s offer to be on watch, Sans couldn’t help but watch the corridor to the farthest left like a hawk. His pupils darted from Frisk’s sleeping face to where he was certain Undyne’s house was. Despite not having any muscles, Sans was remarkably tense.

 

He forced himself to breathe.

 

Frisk shifted with a groan. They shivered in their sleep. Sans frowned. He checked on the jacket splayed out beside him. Still wet. He grumbled a sigh and settled back against the wall, once again eyeing his surroundings for any sign of danger, gingerly placing a hand on the human’s shoulder. He’d given himself to be this kid’s protector. The kid had been the biggest mystery and the biggest challenge Sans had ever taken on. He smiled softly towards the human’s sleeping form. Maybe he wouldn’t have it any other way. He couldn’t conjure up any other way that he would have this, other than letting the human live without those stupid flowers consuming them. He might have gone completely mad, but this was important. This human was important. He wasn’t going to screw this up. At the very least, he could try to not kill the kid again.

 

He had had enough death on his hands to last him a million timelines. Guilt slogged through his bones. His soul shuddered.

 

He suddenly felt the sticky slime of blood on his bones and he snatched his hand away from Frisk.  _ Their  _ blood.  _ Their  _ blood was on his hands. Flowers tenfold bloomed in his vision over his limbs and snaked down his left arm. Where Frisk had the golden buds. Death. Death.  _ Death _ . He shivered at the thought. He watched the bright red,  _ determined  _ soul shatter over and over in his mind’s eye. Shatter. Break. Fracture. Dissolve.  _ Dust _ . He wanted to vomit.

 

He pulled back into himself, refusing to touch the human again. He could not casually touch them. His hands were dirty. Bloody.  _ Filthy _ . His breath hitched in his chest. Sans pulled his knees into himself, willing the soul within him to stop shaking.

 

Frisk moved again with a contented sigh, snapping Sans back into reality. His stare landed on Frisk’s gentle face. Frisk smiled in their sleep.

 

_ Breathe _ .

 

He released his breath alongside Frisk, watching their chest expand and contract with each breath. In. Out. In. Out. A steady, slow pace. The world stopped screaming at him. A small sense of peace bloomed in his head. Silence returned.

 

God, he was exhausted.

 

Sans turned and checked on the jacket. Still a tad damp, but certainly not soaked anymore. He stood and slid his feet back into the slippers, ignoring the fact that they were still damp themselves. The ground to his left bulged a little, and Asriel popped out of the ground, nearly startling some swear words out of Sans. The little flower had an expression of worry. Sans frowned. Dread resonated in his bones.

 

“Undyne,” was all Asriel said. Sans nodded grimly. He squatted next to Frisk and prodded their arm. Frisk shifted.

 

“Hey, sweetie, we’ve got to get going.” His voice was low. “I know you’re tired, but we can’t stay here.”

 

The human groaned softly and stretched with a yawn.They blinked the sleep out of their eye and pushed themself upright into a sitting position, stretching again.

 

“Sans?” Their voice was soft and muted with grogginess.

 

He grunted softly in return, resting his arms across his knees as he squatted in front of them. “We gotta go, sweetheart.”

 

Frisk didn’t question but stood, brushing the dirt from their shorts. They nodded, ready, and Sans grabbed the still slightly damp jacket and draped it over his forearm. Some nagging part of his mind refused to let him return the jacket to the human just yet. Too wet still, he mused. Wait.

 

Asriel bumped into Frisk’s leg, quietly asking to be carried, and Frisk complied with a smile. They squatted down and reached out to allow Asriel’s roots to transfer from the ground to their arm. Sans suppressed a shiver, recalling the strange sensation of the sentient flower’s roots scraping over his bones. He dismissed the memory with a scowl.

 

“Let’s get going.”

 

Frisk nodded and fell into place slightly behind Sans as he pressed forward. Sans paused for a second. He sneaked one last glance back towards Undyne’s house as he led Frisk and Asriel into a hallway that branched off from the room to the right.

 

The conjoining hallway did not have much to offer in terms of scenery. A small opening graced the leftmost wall. Frisk probably would not have noticed it if it were not for the glyphs engraved in the rock above the opening, advertising a small shop within. Sans didn’t let Frisk enter by themself, obviously nervous and fidgety as he followed them in.

 

The monster inside didn’t seem to pose much of a threat to them. He was an ancient tortoise monster with an odd, loud and bitter laugh and promised stories to Frisk to which Sans quickly declined, much to the monster and Frisk’s disappointment. Sans really liked and respected Gerson, who was a veteran of the first war against humans and a war hero. He really did. But time was of the essence, and while Frisk might benefit from understanding the history of the underground, Sans couldn’t help but worry that Undyne was behind any corner, waiting to strike. Sans grinned a lazy grin at Gerson and apologized gruffly, saying that next time he dropped by, he would have a cup of sea tea and a long chat with the old monster. That seemed to placate him, and the monster waved them away with a loud laugh and a crooked smile, telling the trio to come back soon. Frisk smiled back, widely.

 

Sans grabbed Frisk by the wrist and gently led them back into the corridor.

 

“Sorry, sweetheart,” Sans muttered. “We don’t have much time.”

 

“I know,” Frisk whispered in the quiet.

 

Sans let go of their wrist and took the now dry jacket from his forearm. He draped it over Frisk’s shoulders, letting Asriel have a chance to position himself so he could pop his head out of it too. Frisk smiled and muttered a thank you and something about having been cold before.

  
Sans just nodded.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have been so frikkin busy, so I really apologize for the late update. I thought of adding more to this chapter, but that would make this chapter like 3 times as long;;;;; SO here you go.


	8. Chapter 8

What Sans wasn’t expecting was for the world to suddenly go dark.

 

Sans had always taken shortcuts or the ferry to and from his various jobs, so he had never really had to traverse this particular part of the waterfalls. And frankly, he’d forgotten that this particular set of rooms were as pitch as night, despite the semi-bioluminescent grass pathways at their feet.

 

The trio had stepped into the darkness, expecting to see some sort of light illuminating the caverns at the very least, just as the rest of the last few hallways had been, but nothing was there. The previous room had been lit by the soft glowing of the luminescent echo flowers in between the waterfalls, but here, the walls were swallowed into darkness and there seemed to be no end to the blackness.

 

Sans frowned deeply, almost a scowl. He held out a hand in front of him, feeling for the wall blindly as he ventured forward. When he managed to make contact with the wall, he muttered a string of annoyed curses and held out a hand behind him, expecting to grab Frisk’s hand or to touch the oversized jacket encompassing the human. He met only air. Confused and a bit concerned, he called out behind him.

 

“Hey, sweetheart? Stick with me--” He paused. Frisk wasn’t right beside him like they were a few minutes ago. He frowned. “Frisk?”

 

He turned around to see a silhouette frozen just barely over the threshold of the cavern. He could barely make out Asriel trying to coax Frisk forward in the dark with soft whispers. Sans kept his hand to the wall as he turned back. He stopped in front of Frisk and watched them for a moment, trying to make out their features.

 

Curse the darkness.

 

He could hear Frisk’s ragged and rapid breathing underlying Asriel’s quietly concerned voice. He reached out and brushed a hand against their shoulder, and they flinched away from his touch almost violently. He immediately pulled back, surprised.

 

“Frisk?” Sans breathed with a frown, even though he knew they couldn’t really see his face.

 

“Sorry,” Frisk whispered. Their voice was shaky. Their whole body was shaking. That wasn’t a good sign.

 

“Are you sick again?” Sans said in a bit of a panic. He couldn’t help them if they were sick. That meant death again. Sans couldn’t kill them again. It would be his fault. His fault.

 

Death. Repeat. Endless. Flowers.  _ His fault.  _

 

He forced himself to let go of the breath he didn’t know he was holding previously and tried to focus on the small, trembling human in front of him.

 

“N-no,” Frisk stuttered, shaking their head briskly, recognizing the underlying fear in Sans’s voice.

 

“Frisk? Are you okay?” Asriel shifted in the hood, gently nudging Frisk’s cheek. Frisk smiled. A tense smile.

 

“I’m okay,” they said, obviously not. They gripped the jacket as tightly as they could with their right hand. Their left didn’t work that well anymore. “It’s just--” Their voice cracked. “--I can’t  _ see _ .”

 

Sans pondered for a moment. Then a realization struck him so hard, he couldn’t help the sharp intake of breath. Sans approached slowly and bent down slightly so he could see a bit better (his night vision wasn’t the best, but he could at least pick out some of Frisk’s features in the dark). From what he could see, their eye was wide and they were still trembling. It reminded him of when Frisk had woken in a panic on the bed of flowers.

 

“Sweetheart, are you scared?” When Frisk nodded hesitantly, Sans reached out and gently grasped their right hand, the one they could still feel, bringing it to hold it to his cheek. A slight flare of magic and his left eye began to glow a dim red, illuminating Frisk’s terrified face. Tear tracks down Frisk’s cheeks glinted in the red magic light. Frisk’s hand was trembling violently in his grasp. Sans locked eyes with Frisk and whispered into the silence, “I’m here.”

 

Those two words dispelled the human’s wide-eyed expression. They stood like that, hand to cheek, until the last of Frisk’s shaking. When Frisk was finally calm again, Sans gently grasped their hand in his and started progressing forward, his other hand running against the wall so he could maintain his bearings. Frisk followed quietly.

 

They progressed through the darkness very slowly, pausing every so often to coax Frisk into breathing again. They often forgot to breathe until Asriel called out and Sans stopped to let Frisk regain their composure.

 

Sans stopped himself from muttering in annoyance more than once, his violent tendencies trying to surface. He reminded himself that Frisk was the important one, not himself. He could handle moving slowly for a while. A part of his mind buzzed with anxiety, though, as they made their way through the dark caverns. Part of him was tempted to keep glancing back, watchful for Undyne’s deadly spears.

 

The second room was even darker than the first.

 

Frisk gripped Sans’s hand harder as the trio stepped further into the pitch darkness. For a few moments, Sans was at a loss of what to do. His white pupils darted from side to side, but to no avail. It was like he was blind. Eventually, Sans had to conjure his magic to light the way. His hand glowed a bright red as he held it out in front of him. The magic cast odd shadows in the twisting hallways, but lit it well enough. Sans could still feel Frisk’s hand shaking badly. Their breath was barely controlled. Asriel was constantly whispering to Frisk. His soul sank. He couldn’t quite comprehend why the terror was racing through Frisk’s mind, but he could relate to the sensation of terror, and that alone settled in his soul like lead.

 

Sans squeezed Frisk’s hand gently in an attempt at comfort. Sans barely heard a whispered phrase from behind him, but it made his frown dissipate a little.

 

“Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter was actually supposed to be part of the last chapter, but I didn't finish it in time and I had wanted to update anyway;;;;;  
> SO! Here you go! Another chapter!  
> I hope that you guys are still enjoying this, and I hope I'm doing all the characters justice;;;;;


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